China is located in Asia in an area that, in ancient times was isolated from the rest of

the world. It was cut off from India in the southwest by the Himalaya Mountains and
in the west by thousands of kilometres of arid, barren plains. The sea route to the
Middle East was too far away from the junks and simple sheepskin rafts the early
Chinese travelled in.
mor a long time people believed the Shang people were a myth. Although Shang leaders were
mentioned in early writings discovered in a tomb, no other evidence of the Shang dynasty had
ever been found. That all changed at the end of the 19th century.
The territory of the Shang was ruled by a king. All decisions were made by him. He was
believed to rule by ͞madate of Heaven,͟ of the supreme god, Shang Ti.
Shang society was rigidly divided into classes. The head of all society was the king, who was also
the religious leader. The nobles, who were the warrior leaders, were below the king. Directly
below the nobles were craftspeople and merchants. The largest number of people, the farmers,
made up the lowest class. Slaves were below the farmers.
Agriculture is an important economic sector of China, employing over 300 million farmers. China
ranks first in worldwide farm output primarily producing rice, wheat, potatoes, sorghum,
peanuts, tea, millet, barley, cotton, oilseed, pork, and fish.
The basic food of the people was millet, a kind of cereal. Barley and wheat were also grown and
eaten. These crops were also in Egypt and Mesopotamia. The peasants grew beans and many
other vegetables in their own gardens. They ate fish from the rivers and hunted animals such as
deer and bears.
In the early part of the Shang Dynasty, clothing was quite simple. People made clothing from
animal skins in the same way people did in many other parts of the world. As people discovered
that plants, animals, and silkworms supplied the flexible fibres needed to make soft wearable
fabric, new types of fabrics were created. Most men wore long, belted tunics with a jacket over
top. The basic style was the same for men in all classes. The types of fabrics and the amount of
decoration on the fabric indicated the social rank of the wearer. Women wore plain jackets and
belted skirts over simple tunic dresses.
The last capital of the Shang Dynasty, Anyang, covered a large area along a bend of the Huang
Ho river. The city was not surrounded by a defensive wall, but the river offered some protection
from invasions.
mrom Neolithic times, the Chinese used the potter͛s wheel to make high-
high-quality pottery. During
the Shang dynasty, artisans made elaborate chariot decorations and a variety of bronze
weapons and tools-
tools- spears, knives, and axes. Beautifully decorated bronze vessels were made for
the nobility and for use in religious rites.
Most people believed in a spirit world. They worshipped many deities and believed in an afterlife.
The most important god was Tien, the god of heaven. The people practiced ancestor worship.
They believed in filial piety; younger family members were respectful of elder members of the
family and community.
The military was often involved in battles with people who lived in neighbouring areas, especially
those along the Chang Jiang River. The nobles were the warriors and led the armies. Armed with
bronze axes and daggers, the rode into battle in speedy chariots with spoked wheels. They led
troops of farmer-
farmer- peasant soldiers who were called to serve whenever the king needed them. The
foot soldiers fought at close range, using spears and knives.
The Shang dynasty ruled for more than five centuries. Eventually, the dynasty grew weak.
According to Chinese histories, the last Shang ruler had a beautiful partner named Ta Chi. Under
the cruel reign of the king and Ta Chi, people began to revolt. One group from the west, called
the Zhou, led the uprise against the Shang. The Zhou leaders said that the Shang ruler was not
taking care of his people, so Heaven had chosen a new ruler to have the ͞madate of Heaven.͟
The last king is said to have committed suicide.
The long continuous history of China has provided the world with many interesting things. These
range from the religious philosophy of Confucianism, to trade goods such as porcelain and the
development of block printing. The Great Wall and Grand Canal, like the pyramids of Egypt and the
Maya temples, are wonders of the ancient world.
Of the 300 emperors of China, Qin Shi Huang Di had the greatest and largest-
largest-lasting effect on
China. His dynasty ruled from 221 BCE to 206 BCE, and he became king when he was 13 years
old. By the age of 38, he had a united number of states in the area and declared himself the first
emperor of a united China.